FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a fingerprint scanning device for use in identification.
In fingerprint scanning device for use in identification, an entrant finger is put on a lateral side of a prism so that light beams incident on a latitudinal side of the prism makes a fingerprint image emerge from through a hypotenuse of the prism. After photoelectrically treating the fingerprint image, the entrant fingerprint is collated with the registrant fingerprint as follows:
(1) As feature portions, end points and bifurcate lines of the ridge pattern are determined from the fingerprint image to store the positional relationship of the feature portions for individual data. The positional relationship of the feature portions is collated at the time of identifying the entrant with the registrant in a first device. PA1 (2) The number of the ridge lines is counted within an area of the feature portions to store it for individual data which are collated at the time of identifying the entrant with the registrant in a second device. PA1 (3) The individual patterns of the fingerprint image are stored for individual data, the patterns of which are collated at the time of identifying the entrant with the registrant in a third device.
The first and second devices, however, take too long a time in scanning an information data base to put them into practical use when a small scale hardware system is applied. These two devices require a relatively large storage. It becomes expensive when a large scale hardware system is applied although the time spent in scanning an information data base may be shortened.
The third device dispenses with the large scale hardward system. But the third device fails to compare the fingerprint pattern of the entrant and that of the registrant with high accuracy because the accuracy is affected by the outer disturbances such as the degree of forces and angles with which the finger is put on the prism.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to eliminate the above drawbacks, and providing a fingerprint scanning device for use in identification which is capable of accurately collating an entrant fingerprint and a registrant fingerprint with a relatively simple structure at the time of identifying the entrant with the registrant.